Metal laminate structures are well known. Such structures typically have outer metal sheets of steel or other structural metal with one or more layers of polymer and/or metal disposed between the outer metal sheets. Such structures provide strength benefits due to the outer metal layers while having the benefit of reduced weight and sound absorption due to the polymeric interior.
Several different types of metal laminate structures are known. One such known structure is made up of metal sheets of similar or dissimilar composition with a low density polymeric core between the metal sheets. In such constructions the core thickness is normally about 40% to about 60% of the total laminate thickness. Another construction utilizes metal sheets of similar or dissimilar composition with a thin visco-elastic polymeric adhesive layer between the metal sheets. In such constructions, the core thickness is normally less than about 20% of the total laminate thickness. It is also known to use outer metal sheets of similar or dissimilar composition with one or more interior metal sheets with thin polymeric epoxy adhesive layers interposed between opposing metal sheets. In such constructions, the polymeric layers normally make up less than about 20% of the total laminate thickness.
Laminated steels have been used in the manufacture of automotive vehicles in various structural panel members. Specifically, laminated steel panels have been spot welded into vehicles during assembly. However, the use of laminated steel panels has been limited due to the inability to efficiently join panels of such material to one another or to solid steel with continuous weld joints. In this regard it has been found that traditional gas metal arc welding as would normally be used in joining steel panels together is generally unsuitable for laminated steel structures due to heat degradation of the polymeric core layer at significant distances outboard of the weld. Likewise, such traditional techniques are also generally unsuitable for carrying out surface repairs of laminated steel panels. As will be appreciated, the need for such repairs may arise as a result of damage during initial stamping operations and/or in post production repair as a result of automotive collisions.